Dear Father Christmas, what I’d like for Christmas is some order in the chaos

It’s that time of year again, we’ve survived the Black Friday deluge of emails and ‘unmissable’ offers, and are turning our thoughts to Christmas and sharing some festive good will with clients, suppliers and business supporters.

I love that it’s one of the few times of the year when it’s acceptable to give gifts without it being seen as anything other than a lovely thing to do. But it’s still important for a business to get it ‘right’. Should I say ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Season’s Greetings’? Should I send an e-card or a real card? (Personally, I believe that’s entirely up to you, who you’re talking to and your company ethos.) And, most importantly, who should I send it to?

You won’t gain much goodwill by sending a card to a person who left two years ago, or worse, is sadly no longer with us. Investing time in checking and updating your data and company Christmas card list will pay dividends, now and in the future.

Unlike a puppy, an up-to-date data list is perfect for Christmas, and the whole year too!

Now is an ideal time to refresh data lists. Of course, ensuring you’re GDPR compliant doesn’t have to be a pain. Think of it as a chance to refresh your data to ensure your contacts are up-to-date, to stick to your data retention policy as documented and shared in your Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy.  Be confident in the knowledge that you’re sending warm wishes to the right person in the right company.

End of November is an ideal Data Check time

I set aside time at the end of November/beginning of December to have a good hard look at my contact list and the overall health of my contact data. It’s a great opportunity to re-categorise and update contacts and look for opportunities to renew relationships.

The investment in time spent reviewing and updating your contact data doesn’t have to be hugely time-consuming. A good CRM system, that stores the data and allows you to manipulate it efficiently, will help to ensure the process is time-efficient and free from errors.

I’ve been working with CapsuleCRM for more than eight years now. It’s a great solution for micro, small and medium sized businesses, as well as individuals. I’ve helped many of my clients to increase revenue, reduce costs, manage their pipeline, make more of their contacts and deliver great customer service, by designing a bespoke CRM system to suit their specific business needs.

Blake Consultants offers a number of services to help businesses manage their data in a compliant way. Do contact me to find out more.

Get January 2019 off to a flying start

There’s something very reassuring in knowing that your contact list is sorted. It also allows you to personalise your message, to find out how the recipient is, to let them know how you’re doing and to share any relevant news. Re-engaging with your contacts also means you’ll be much better placed to hit the ground running in 2019.

Dogs aren’t just for Christmas and neither are data health checks!

A big thank you to Karen Bennett Photography for the gorgeous puppy photo.

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